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Overset Text Error in InDesign Despite No Visible Text

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
August 30, 2021
19 replies
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Looking at my preflight panel to check the errors on a multi-page doc. I am getting 2 overset text errors. But when I go to the specified area of the doc, there is nothing. I tried everything - I deleted everything off the spread, and the error still remains. There is nothing locked on the spread. I checked all layers of the documents and even checked the master pages to no avail. What's weird is if I copy and paste the contents of the page to a new doc, the error is gone. I have tried individually deleting all the type boxes and the error remains.

Please help!

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Type

Correct answer Peter Applerock

I had a similar problem and I followed every trick suggested in this discussion. The resolution was.....

I looked at all assets on the page and they all showed visible in the layer view, so I couldn't understand what causes the error if I can't see it. Then I realised that inside of one group there was a text box that was overset. As simple as that.

Show previous replies

Peter Spier

Community Expert

The very fastest way to find overset text is to view in Story Editor...

Peter Spier

Community Expert

I suppose I should add you want to use Preflight to find the story first, then use the link in preflight to go to the location, and then hit Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) + Y to open the Story Editor.

R

Roberts Viksne

Participating Frequently

This solution helped me to get rid off this mysterious Overset Text symbol when there is no visible text. Thank you Peter!

Geоrge

Legend

Give us package of your file through some dropbox/yadisk service. May be some of domestic wizards will check your file and do the miracle with finding your ghost overset.

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

rob day

Community Expert

I should also add to this, that the typical red + that shows normally for overset text is nowhere to be found.

Make sure you don’t have Overprint Preview turned on, and that the View>Screen Mode is set to Normal—the overset icon only displays when the screen mode is set to Normal and Overprint Preview is turned off

You could also check via scripting. This would display a list of pages with frames that overset:

var tf = app.activeDocument.textFrames;
var s = "Document’s text overfows: \r"
var hf, vis;
            
for (var i = 0; i < tf.length; i++){   
    if (tf[i].overflows == true) {
        hf = tf[i].hiddenTexts.length;
        vis = tf[i].visible;
        s+= "Page: " + tf[i].parentPage.name + "  Frame visible: " + vis + "  Hidden Texts: " + hf + "\r"
    } 
};   

alert(s);

F

Faith5C32Author

Known Participant

I should also add to this, that the typical red + that shows normally for overset text is nowhere to be found.

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

To get rid of extra returns at the end of text or end spaces, go to find and replace. There is a prest, called Remove trailing space. Apply this for the whole document. It might resolve the problem.

F

Faith5C32Author

Known Participant

Hey - I really appreciate it. I tried this, and the error remains. 😞

Frans v.d. Geest

Community Expert

Check to see if there is a return at the end of your text. That 'empty' return will be flagged 😉

F

Faith5C32Author

Known Participant

Hey thanks for the response! No extra returns. What's weird is if I paste all the items from the doc to a new one, the errors go away on the new one, and not the old one - despite that the page is blank.

jmlevy

Community Expert

Nothing on the pasteboard?

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Zoom in your document with a very high level.

Open the Preflight Panel.

Click on the page number where the error is indicated.

Now should this error be in focus and easier to see as you are zoomed in.

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

Time to go back to the basics:

Click on the Arrow/Selection tool. Then choose the Edit>Select All menu command. This will select all the elements on your selected and viewed page/spread, as well as anything hanging off the related pasteboard.
Zoom out using the View>Entire Pasteboard menu command and look for the text frame with the red + sign.

Don't be surprised if you find it on the pasteboard, especially if you're working with a file that may have been recycled multiple times and updated instead of replaced with a new, fresh file. It happens more often than you'd think, especially if there are many hands working on the file.

Hope this helps,

Randy